Kerala reported 24,296 COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, the second time it has crossed the 24,000 mark after May 26 when the state had recorded 28,798 cases. On May 27, the state had recorded 24,166 fresh COVID-19 cases. Since then, the state twice came close to the 24,000 mark on May 29 (23,513), and then on August 3 (23,676). After May 29, the state crossed the 20,000 mark on July 27 when it reported 22,129 fresh cases and since then, it has been logging more than or close to 20,000 cases each day. In the latest 24-hour period, 1.34 lakh samples were tested and the Test Positivity Rate (TPR) rose to 18.04%. So far, 3.04 crore samples have been tested, the state said. As many as 19,349 people have recovered from the coronavirus since Monday, taking the total recoveries to 36.72 lakh and the number of active cases to 1.59 lakh, an official press release said.
Among districts, Ernakulam recorded the highest surge on Tuesday with 3,149 cases followed by Thrissur (3,046), Kozhikode (2,875), Malappuram (2,778), Palakkad (2,212), Kollam (1,762), Kottayam (1,474), Thiruvananthapuram (1,435), Kannur (1,418), Alappuzha (1,107) and Pathanamthitta (1,031). Health Minister Veena George had warned a day earlier that the next four weeks would be crucial for the state as Kerala's annual harvest festival of Onam just got over.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held a review meeting and it was decided that the Sunday lockdowns which were earlier in place will be brought back. He also asked to increase the COVID-19 tests in areas where the vaccination rate was low, reports Mathrubhumi. He also urged officials to increase the rate of vaccination. Minister Veena said at an emergency meeting of the Health Department that the aim is to vaccinate everyone aged above 18 years with at least the first dose by September.
In the meeting, the minister directed that special care should be taken to avoid delay in administration of vaccines and said the issue of shortage of syringes was being addressed. She said that the Union government has promised 1.11 crore vaccines to the state and more doses will be available as soon as possible. Testing was also being maximised and if anyone who attended a public event was found COVID-19 positive, everyone who was there would be tested, she said.
(With PTI inputs)